Arusha National Park safaris, tours & holiday packages
A diversity of habitats
This is where you can find a volcanic mountain, craters, forest and blue-and-green lakes turned pink by thousands of flamingos
Arusha National Park is just north of the bustling town that shares its name, and it's a great little park to visit if you arrive on an early morning flight; the entrance gate is between Kilimanjaro International Airport and the town, so you can get straight into your safari from the airport. Overnighting closer to the park is an even better idea, with Hatari Lodge and Shangazi House being good choices.
The park has three main attractions, Mount Meru and the Meru Crater, Ngurdoto Crater, and the Momela lakes. Arusha National Park is also the place on Tanzania's northern safari circuit where the energetic black-and-white colobus monkeys are easiest to see.
Popular Arusha National Park safaris
These popular itineraries can be customised to match your budget and travel dates
9-day Great Wildebeest Migration safari (Luxury)
These mass ungulate herds cross plains and rivers as the season's change and rain-ripened grass are depleted in their area, forcing them to move on to the next.
$ 11,820
£ 9,656
R 191,667
€ 11,366
per person
9 days
Great Migration Safari in the Serengeti (9 days)
Join HerdTracker on a Tanzania migration safari in the Serengeti National Park.
$ 6,695
£ 5,469
R 108,563
€ 6,438
per person
9 days
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HerdTracker August to October 2021 Wildebeest Migration safari (Value-for-money)
This is the stage on which the greatest wildlife show on earth and plays out, as it is by far the greatest mass movement of land mammals on the entire globe.
$ 7,830
£ 6,397
R 126,967
€ 7,529
per person
8 days
Two Peak Challenge: Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro (13 days)
Summit two of Tanzania's iconic mountain ranges in under two weeks
$ 3,470
£ 2,835
R 56,268
€ 3,337
per person
13 days
9-day June/July 2021 great Migration safari in Tanzania (Value-for-money)
If the great migration is on your travel bucket list, then this memorable safari in Tanzania is ideal for you.
$ 7,485
£ 6,115
R 121,373
€ 7,197
per person
9 days
Tanzania Affordable Calving Season Safari 2022
Visit Tanzania during the calving season to see wildebeest calves join the massive herds making their way through the Serengeti for the great migration.
$ 6,595
£ 5,388
R 106,941
€ 6,342
per person
9 days
February Calving Season Safari in Tanzania (9 days)
Visit Tanzania during the calving season to see wildebeest calves join the massive herds making their way through the Serengeti for the great migration.
$ 8,350
£ 6,821
R 135,399
€ 8,029
per person
9 days
Tanzania Great Migration June/July 2021 safari (Luxury)
HerdTracker invites you to join them on a migration safari in Tanzania's Arusha, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park.
$ 11,400
£ 9,313
R 184,856
€ 10,962
per person
9 days
Tanzania June/July 2021 Great Migration safari (Best for budget)
Explore the wonder of the great wildebeest migration from the best Tanzania has to offer
$ 6,465
£ 5,282
R 104,833
€ 6,217
per person
8 days
Tanzania June/July Great Migration Safari with HerdTracker (9 days)
Explore the wonder of the great wildebeest migration from the best Tanzania has to offer
$ 6,290
£ 5,139
R 101,995
€ 6,048
per person
9 days
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“Arusha National Park is a great start to any safari; if you have an extra day or even half a day, it's better to visit the park than waste time in town. I wouldn't end a safari here but certainly recommend it as a starting point, or even climbing Meru.”
More on Arusha National Park holidays
The park is dominated by Meru Crater and the summit of Mount Meru in the west. Meru is the second highest mountain in Tanzania at 4,566 metres above sea level, and serious climbers use it as preparation for climbing Kilimanjaro.
Ngurdoto Crater towards the south-east is open savannah and this is where most of the wildlife is found – big buffalo herds, giraffe and if you go out early in the morning or late in the afternoon you might even be lucky enough to bump into spotted hyena or leopard.
In the north-eastern part of the park are the Momela lakes – water-filled craters that attract flamingo and other water birds. From the north-eastern side of Mount Meru, you also have great views of Mount Kilimanjaro towards the east when the clouds lift.
Arusha National Park Map
Arusha National Park's location on Google Maps
Frequently Asked Questions about Arusha National Park
The best time to visit Arusha National Park is from June to October, during the dry season. It is easier to spot the wildlife - since they normally gather around the waterholes, rainfall is minimal, vegetation is not too thick and mosquitos… go there.
Whether you are in the Southern or East Africa you will generally be able to see the big five. The difference really comes in when considering antelope as they are based on your chosen location. go there.
This is all dependant on the countries that you will be visitng and due to the status of certain vaccinations changing at times, please consult our experts before getting vaccines. go there.
In some parts of Southern Africa it is safe to drink the tap water, however it is highly recommended to stick to bottled water (mostly supplied) during your trip as even drinkable African water is completely different in taste and… go there.
Reviews on our Arusha National Park safaris
Since the beginning, agents and staff of Discover Africa already work in a professional way for me to plan the trip. Their quick responses to my questions help us a lot before departing from our place to the Africa continent. When we were…
YT
from Hong Kong
This was my first safari. I didn’t expect to be so pampered. Everything was first class. We had everything provided for us before even asking. We had a dedicated team at our service. Megan was on call whenever we needed something and she…
Saada
from Nigeria
Tanya was an absolute delight to deal with. From the first phone call she was extremely polite, professional and very eager to facilitate my requests regarding our safari. Our 3 nights at the V & A Hotel were fabulous and Motswari Game…
Debbie
from Australia
Perfectly tailor-made tours that take all your wishes and requests into consideration. All my expectations were beyond fulfilled.
Henrik Wetterstrand
from Sweden
Living afar and trusting in an organisation with whom you have no previous knowledge can lead to feeling of mistrust and wondering whether what we have paid for actually exists. A little more proactive communication would have eased those…
Tony Russell
I just wanted to thank Discover Africa and Karl Svendsen - the safari was great - we saw many more animals than expected including cheetah, leopard, many lions and even a three-day old elephant calf. Additionally, we had our own hippo…
Margaret Dean
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